Mr. Panama Bartholomy

Division of the State Architect, State of California (Sacramento, CA)

His responsibilities fall into four main categories.

1) Be a resource. Panama is responsible for providing information on sustainable building practices to a variety of groups, including architects, contractors, school and district employees and the general public.

2) Be a trainer. In this role, Panama provide trainings for DSA staff and external stakeholders about how to plan, design, build and operate sustainable buildings. And because California is about to invest $50 billion in schools, Panama often turns his focus there.

3) Be a partner: Panama is part of several task forces such - the Sustainable Building Task Force, the Environmental Preferable Purchasing Task Force, the Driving Green Task Force - that look at ways to green California's schools, workplaces, and vehicles. He partners with utilities and school districts on design assistance, and with non-profit groups to share resources and contacts.

4) Be a regulator: "You can incentivize and you can educate," Panama notes, "but when it comes down to it, the greatest impact is law." He and his colleagues explore and advocate for legislative initiatives that promote sustainability. These may include building codes requiring eco-materials, restrictions on building emissions, or requirements for better energy use.

Panama's interest in environmental issues has guided many of his life decisions. At Humboldt State University - one of the most environmentally friendly institutions of higher education in the US - he worked extensively with students, faculty and the administration to continue improving environmental performance on campus.

As a senior, Panama put together the Campus Committee for Sustainability ("with amazing help from NWF's Campus Ecology Fellowship Program," he notes). Through his participation on the committee, Panama learned about an Executive Order released in 2000, calling for all state buildings to be sustainably designed.

Who's going to implement this, he wondered, and how could he get involved? He tracked down the responsible government agency, eventually reaching the deputy secretary and explaining his interest.

Panama never imagined that contact would prove so valuable, but in March of his senior year, he received a golden phone call from that same deputy secretary, asking him if he wanted an internship with the agency.

And he said no.

Working for the state meant living in Sacramento, away from friends and lifestyle. But the position grew on him, as he thought about the impact he could have working on sustainability issues for the California state government.

Nine months into his internship, he found his current full-time position as the "sustainability guy" with the Division of the State Architect. While he is the only full-time employee focused on sustainability, he gets a lot accomplished!

The state of California has great potential to lead the country in sustainability, notes Panama.

Given California's sheer physical and economic size (the state has an annual budget of $12 billion), the decisions Panama helps guide on a state level can have a great impact on the production and availability of sustainable options nationwide.

Panama also firmly believes that providing safe, sustainable working and learning environments will improve quality of life for California's students and employees.

E-mail: Panama.Bartholomy@dgs.ca.gov